Top International Chefs to spice up Vancouver during the Olympic Winter Games
Jet Set Sports Creates Premier Dining Experience with Culinary ‘Dream Team’
Jet Set Sports is assembling an international all-star team of accomplished chefs in Vancouver to head the Chef’s Table, the 2010 edition of Jet Set’s series of Games-time fine-dining experiences. Each of the award-winning chefs – from Great Britain, France, China, Germany and Switzerland – will take turns at the helm of the restaurant, adding his or her own signature flair to the dining experience. Described as a downtown, “pop-up” fine-dining venue, the Chef’s Table will operate only during the Olympic Winter Games and is being made available to guests of Jet Set Sports, the world’s leading Olympic hospitality company.
“Vancouver is bringing the world together, so we are bringing some of the world’s greatest chefs to Vancouver,” said Sead Dizdarevic, chairman and CEO of Jet Set Sports. “Five remarkable chefs will join us from Great Britain, France, China, Germany and Switzerland. Each of them will put his or her stamp on the Chef’s Table and provide our guests with an extraordinary meal to cap a fantastic day at the Games.”
The Chef’s Table will be located at 1088 Burrard Street at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Participating chefs include:
Chef Andre Jaeger, owner and operator of the Rheinhotel Fischerzunft in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, has masterfully created dishes for nearly four decades and has held 19/20 Gault Millau points since 1995.
Chef Edouard Loubet, the acclaimed proprietor of La Bastide de Capelongue in Bonnieux, France, is one the youngest French chefs to earn two Michelin Stars.
Chef Anton Mosimann, arguably the world’s first celebrity chef, is now the proprietor of the legendary London dining club, Mosimann’s. His talents were polished in leading restaurants in Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Japan and Canada.
Chef Heinz Winkler, owner and operator of the Residenz Henz Winkler in Bayern-Chiemgau, Germany, was awarded his first Michelin star in 1979, and at the age of 32, became one of the youngest three-star Michelin chefs in history.
Chef Zhang Jin Jie (a.k.a. Jin-R), the incredibly talented owner and chef of the “classic-modern” Green T House in Beijing, takes inspiration from the changing seasons. Her creations are works of art with each dish cleverly infused with Chinese teas, spices, flower petals and her signature garnish, Green Tea Powder.
“We’ve been a proud partner to the Olympic Movement and Organizing Committees for 25 years. Part of our role is to make sure our guests have a great experience at the Games and in the host city. We take this responsibility seriously, so for each Games, we try to create something special,” said Dizdarevic. “Without a doubt, the chefs we have assembled will add that special ingredient to our guests’ Games experience.”
Operating at every Olympic Games since 1984 in Sarajevo and serving only Olympic Games travelers, Jet Set Sports has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to deliver the very best in accommodations, event tickets, ground transportation, management, and of course, dining.
London’ s Cuisine Worst in Europe, but Capital Boasts Best Free Attractions
TripAdvisor Survey Reveals Highs and Lows of European Cities
It may be home to some of the world’s finest chefs, but London’s cuisine has been voted the worst in Europe, in a survey of travellers’ perceptions of European cities by TripAdvisor(R), the world’s most popular and largest travel community.
Yet whilst the capital’s food may fail to whet travellers’ appetites, its feast of cultural sights and open spaces meets with approval. London emerged as the best European city for both free attractions and public parks in the survey of 2,376 European travellers. As one TripAdvisor reviewer writes, “I have travelled quite a lot and there are NO parks in the world like the ones in London, especially St James’ Park.”
Copenhagen took the accolade of Europe’s cleanest city, whilst London was crowned the dirtiest, for the second year running. One TripAdvisor reviewer writes, “When I went to London last I was looking for a bin at Victoria Station. I couldn’t find one so asked security and they told me to just throw it on the floor.”
Travellers also ranked London the most expensive city in Europe, whilst Prague was voted the best bargain. And when it comes to architecture, Barcelona boasts Europe’s finest, whilst Warsaw has the ugliest, with one TripAdvisor reviewer noting that, “There really isn’t much to see architecturally… The castle, which is located in the square, was uninteresting. There was also this huge ugly building, which is the Ministry of Sciences – that was ugly but BIG.”
BRITONS STILL PLANNING TRIPS TO EUROZONE
Despite the strength of the euro, the survey reveals that a staggering 93% of British travellers intend to travel within Europe in the coming year (beyond their own country) – higher than their Spanish counterparts (90%), the French (91%) or Italians (91%).
However, when it comes to travel budgets, Britons exercise the most caution. More than one in two Brits (57%) will stick to a tighter budget than on previous European jaunts, compared to 30% of French travellers, 38% of Italians and 48% of Spanish.
Luke Fredberg, TripAdvisor spokesman, says, “Europe’s capital cities all have their highs and lows, but no other continent offers travellers’ such a wealth of culture and sights within such short distances. Despite London emerging as the dirtiest and most expensive city, its fantastic free attractions prove that you don’t need to be a millionaire in order to enjoy the capital.”
TRIPADVISOR’S EUROPEAN CITIES SURVEY: RESULTS OVERVIEW
Best Free Attractions: 1. London (35%) 2. Rome (9%) 3. Barcelona (9%)
Most Over-Rated: 1. Paris (25%) 2. London (12%) 3. Dublin (6%)
Most Under-Rated: 1. Krakow (7%) 2. Bruges (6%) 3. Edinburgh (5%)
Friendliest Locals: 1. Dublin (15%) 2. Amsterdam (14%) 3. Edinburgh (8%)
Least Friendly: 1. Paris (36%) 2. London (17%) 3. Moscow (6%)
Most Boring: 1. Brussels (14%) 2. Zurich (9%) 3. Dublin (6%)
Most Tourist Traps: 1. London (30%) 2. Paris (15%) 3. Rome (10%)
Most Romantic: 1. Venice (29%) 2. Paris (21%) 3. Rome (11%)
Most Expensive: 1. London (23%) 2. Paris (19%) 3. Venice (8%)
Best Bargain: 1. Prague (16%) 2. Amsterdam (9%) 3. Istanbul (8%)
Best Nightlife: 1. London (27%) 2. Amsterdam (17%) 3. Barcelona(11%)
Cleanest: 1. Copenhagen (9%) 2. Zurich (8%) 3. Stockholm (7%)
Dirtiest: 1. London (36%) 2. Paris (9%) 3. Athens (7%)
Best cuisine: 1. Paris (18%) 2. London (17%) 3. Rome (13%)
Worst cuisine: 1. London (10%) 2. Moscow (7%) 3. Warsaw (6%)
Best Architecture: 1. Barcelona (15%) 2. Rome (14%) 3. London (12%)
Ugliest Architecture: 1. Warsaw (8%) 2. Berlin (7%) 3. Brussels (6%)
Best Public Parks: 1. London (50%) 2. Paris (7%) 3. Barcelona (6%)
Best Dressed: 1. Paris (26%) 2. Rome (23%) 3. Madrid (8%)
Worst Dressed: 1. London (20%) 2. Dublin (6%) 3. Moscow (6%)
2,376 European travellers participated in the survey, including 638 British travellers
Source: TripAdvisor